PRotests and ice buckets

If you want to seek the latest in public relations case studies, you don’t need a text book. Just watch the news.

In an pre-season NFL game last Monday, Johnny Manziel raised a middle finger as he jogged back to the Cleveland huddle near the Washington sideline after throwing an incomplete pass. The gesture was captured by ESPN’s cameras. Penalty! It became an instant public relations issue for the NFL, the Cleveland Browns and Johnny Manziel.

Ferguson, Missouri was the main focus of news coverage in recent weeks. The shooting of unarmed, 18 year-old Michael Brown by a policeman brought about storms of protest and subsequent riots as angry demonstrations and looters poured into the streets. The public relations mistakes made by the governor, the mayor and by the Ferguson Police Department are good case studies in bad PR. The worst offense came when the department released the officer’s name and simultaneously released an unrelated video of Brown allegedly robbing a store. Ouch! This horrible decision only elevated the anger.

Critics protested when President Obama played golf as crises in Missouri and the Middle East mounted. Although Obama has played more rounds of golf than any of his predecessors, he has taken one-third the vacation days of his immediate predecessor. Meanwhile, he had announced the White House reaction to the execution of journalist James Foley just minutes before starting a round. Bogie! More ammunition for the opposition and another PR snafu for the president.

On a happier note, by now you’ve either seen or participated in dumping ice cold water on someone’s head to raise money to fight ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a publicity campaign that’s been sweeping the nation. Bravo! The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is a wonderful example of a campaign gone viral for a great cause. It’s easy, fun, and the campaign has already raised $63 million dollars.

PR case studies are always right under our noses. Just read a newspaper, follow Twitter, or turn on the TV, and then sit back and observe. Your thoughts?

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ABOUT ME

I'm an associate professor at Hofstra University and director of Hofstra's graduate program in public relations. For 27 years I held corporate, nonprofit, government, agency, and academic PR positions before doing what I love most: teaching. I'm a past president of the trade group Public Relations Professionals of Long Island and serve on the advisory board of the Museum of Public Relations. I'm also an active member of several professional organizations, and serve as faculty adviser to Hofstra's Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter. I was honored to receive the 2016 Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award from Hofstra's Lawrence Herbert School of Communication.

While I'm immensely happy to play a role my students' achievements, I'm most proud of my four adult children, their significant others, and my two adorable grandsons. A native of Massapequa Park, N.Y., my wonderful wife Tema and I live in Great Neck, N.Y. with our high-maintenance beagle, Toby.